NEW YORK STATE LIBRARY AND HOME EDUCATION

Scope of library. The State Library includes general, sociology, law, medical, education and history libraries and the Library School. Besides the usual work of a great reference library, its field covers compilation of catalogues, bibliographies, indexes, reference lists and other aids and guides for readers not having direct access to the library, lending books to students and promotion of the general library interests of the State.

Use. As the library was founded for the benefit of the people of the whole State, books not readily accessible elsewhere and not so much used at Albany as to make their brief absence from the shelves serious are lent under the rules guarding against loss or undue detention to:

I Any institution in the University.

2 Any registered public or free library.

3 Responsible heads of State institutions, departments or courts, or to those connected with the State government and needing books for use in their official work.

4 Registered study clubs, extension centers, summer schools or other recognized educational agencies.

5 Any resident of the State making studies or investigations in which he needs the assistance of the State Library, provided that his responsibility is known to the library or that he gives satisfactory references or makes a deposit covering the value of the books.

The library recognizes this lending of books to distant points as a very important part of its work and aims to help the largest number possible of those needing its assistance, not only by lending but also by recommending the best books and furnishing, through its Home Education Department devoted specially to such work, printed or manuscript aids to those pursuing studies or courses of reading without a teacher.

Home Education Department. This includes promotion, sympathetic assistance and supervision of summer, vacation, evening and correspondence schools and other forms of extension teaching, lectures, university extension courses, study clubs, lyceums, debating societies, literary clubs and other agencies for promoting and extending more widely opportunities and facilities for education to those unable to attend the usual teaching institutions.

The most potent factors in home education are: (1) putting the best reading within reach of all citizens by traveling libraries and annotated book lists; (2) aid given in organizing new and increasing efficiency of established local libraries by the public libraries division, through which the State yearly expends about $60,000 for the benefit of free libraries. This division is devoted to promoting general library interests of the State and in all practicable ways assisting communities willing to do their part in providing the best reading for their citizens.

For further information address

MELVIL DEWEY, Director, Albany N. Y.

New York State Library

SOCIOLOGY DIVISION

Legislation bulletins. No. 1-7, 9-11, 13, 15. Comparative Summary and Index of State Legislation, 1890-date. 25c each, except 50c for

no. II.

These are minutely classified annual summaries of new laws passed by all the states, followed by a full alphabetic index of specific topics.

As a decision of a state Supreme Court or of the United States Supreme Court declaring a statute unconstitutional is in effect equivalent to its repeal by the Legislature, a digest of such decisions is included. The votes on constitutional amendments and constitutional conventions are also given, and important provisions of new constitutions summarized.

8, 12,14: Monographs. 8 State Finance Statistics, 1890 and 1895. 58p. Mar. 1897. IOC.

This bulletin was prepared by E. Dana Durand Ph.D. when legislative librarian. It is a comparative summary of the receipts and expenditures of all the states, including also statistics relating to endowment funds and state debts.

12 Trend of Legislation in the United States. 40p. May 1900. 5c. By Robert H. Whitten Ph.D. Sociology librarian.

A sketch of the general trend of recent legislative regulation from a sociologic standpoint. Laws relating to the organization of the government itself are not considered, merely a broad, comprehensive view being given of the general tendency of attempts at social regulation and control.

14 Taxation of Corporations in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 198p. May 1901. 25c. By Robert H. Whitten Ph.D. Sociology librarian.

Contains (1) a brief review of the corporation tax systems of the four states; (2) a summary by states showing the various state and local taxes imposed on each class of corporations; (3) a compilation of corporation tax statutes.

16 Review of Legislation 1901. 250p. Mar. 1902. 25. Consists of contributions from leading specalists in all parts of the country. For each important subject there is a review of the legislation of 1901 treating briefly of the most important acts, indicating the general trend by references to previous laws, and in general giving, so far as practicable, a historical and sociologic setting to the year's legislation. This review, together with the comparative summary and index, makes a yearbook of comparative legislation of scientific and practical value.

17 Digest of Governors' Message 1902. 162p. Oct. 1902. 25c. Annual subscription price for all legislation bulletins issued, 50 cents payable in advance. Subscribers will receive annually:

I Comparative Summary and Index of Legislation [average size 300p.] 2 Review of Legislation [average size 200p.]

3 Digest of Governors' Messages

4 Any special monographs issued

Volumes 1-3 (containing bulletins 1-15) $1 each.

Subscriptions for future numbers or orders for back numbers should be addressed State Library, Albany, and checks or money orders be made payable to University of the State of New York.

Card indexes. A consolidated card index of state legislation, beginning with 1890, makes it easy to refer to laws on any subject in any state within the past 10 years. A special library on comparative legislation is being collected, which is supplemented with catalogues and indexes.

Research. The library with its 330,000 volumes affords unusual advantages for research. Its collections in law, public documents, statistics, political science, economics, administration and allied subjects are unusually valuable and are being rapidly increased.